Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES4 PATENT DEEICE.

ALONZO SALTSMAN AND CLARK H. CHARLESVVORTH, OF AVOOA, AND R. F. OSGOOD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; SAID OSGOOD ASSIGNS HIS RIGHT TO SAID SALTSMAN AND GHARLESWORTH.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89.082, dated April 20, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALONZO SALTSMAN and CLARK H. CHARLEswoRTH, of Avoca,in the county of Steuben and State of New York, and R. F. OsGooD, of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State aforesaid, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Operating the Knives of Harvesters; and we do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan of a machine provided with our improvement; Fig. 2, a section in the line of the axle; Fig. 3, a perspective view i of the cam-wheel and lever-work.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gnres.

. Our improvement belongs to that class in which the knife receives an accelerated motion by connecting with a lever operated upon at opposite ends by a cam-wheel.

The invention consists in a novel arrangement of the lever-work, whereby the strain is equalized on both sides of the cam-wheel, and whereby the length of stroke of the cutters is gaged at pleasure.

In the drawings,A indicates the main frame, mounted on wheels B B. A cam-wheel, O, rests loosely on the axle, having on the back side a disk or head, D, made fast to the axle.

Outside this a coupling-collar, E, slides on the` axle, being operated by any suitable lever.

This collar has two or more forks, a a, which,

when the collar is moved up, strike through holes in the xed head D and enter sockets in the back of the cam-wheel, and thereby couple said cam-wheel to the axle.

By this arrangement the ordinary coupling with wedge-notches is avoided, and a much cheaper and simpler one substituted.

Another great advantage is that in drawing back the forks a a clear themselves of obstructions in the holes of the disk, and therefore there is no difculty from cut grass and other extraneous matter, as in the ordinary couplings. This arrangement forms one novel feature of our invention.

On the cam side of wheel Gis situated a lever, G, pivoted centrally at c to the frame, and having two teeth, d d, engaging with the cani-teeth or cogs f f of the wheel. These teeth d d are adjusted out and in, to project more or less, by screws g g, as clearly shown.

On the opposite side ofthe cam-wheel is situated another lever, H, parallel with Gr, and also centrally pivoted at h. These two levers are connected by cross-bars I I, loosely jointed at t' i to allow a free and easy motion. The end of the cutter-bar is jointed to the extended end of H for giving a rapid motion to the knives, as clearly indicated.

A special advantage results from this arrangement of parts. In all other machines with which we are acquainted, operating upon this principle, but a single lever "is used, and the cutter-bar is connected with the end of that one lever. In such case the greatest strain comes upon that end where the cutterbar is attached, the opposite end playing free, and acting only as a lever of the first order. Thus the action is irregular and the parts are liable to disarran gement.

By employing the lever H and the crossbars I I in combination with the primary lever G, we obviate all difficulty of the kind, for we divide the strain equally upon both sides of the cam-wheel and render the 'reciprocations of the cutter-bar regular and uniform, and the parts cannot easily get out of order.

In addition to the above the adjustment of the teeth d d out and in enables us to graduate the length of stroke of the cutter-bar exactly as desired. If adjusted out, the action of the teeth will produce a greater length of stroke, and if adjusted in they will allow a less. This effect is of importance in grain or grass of greater or less thickness, and also on different kinds of ground.

We are aware that a single lever acted upon by a cam-wheel to give an accelerated motion to the knife has been before known, and such we do not claim but What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the rectangular leverframe G H I I, pivoted at o h, and inclosing the cam-wheel C, in such a manner as to divide the strain on both sides of the center of motion of said frame, as herein set forth.

2. Also, in combination with the rectangular lever-frame G H I I a-nd the cam-Wheel C, the adjustable teeth d d, for geging the stroke of the sick1e,the Wh 01e arranged as described, and operating in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALONZO SALTSMAN. CLARK H. CHARLESWORTH. R. F. OSGOOD.

Witnesses for Saltsman and Charlesworth:

OERIN ANDREWS, G. W. TOWNER. Witnesses for Osgood:

CHAs. F. SPENCER, J. A. DAvIs. 

